The maritime community has started looking into seafarers’ wellbeing and health as a consideration for the sustainability of both the business and the industry
Global maritime medical and public health service solutions company Vikand Solutions LLC has banded together with numerous maritime organisations to launch the Seafarers’ Human Sustainability Declaration. Based on the official release, the declaration aims to achieve long-term sustainability for mercantile maritime through supporting seafarers.
To achieve their goal, the declaration is designed as a guideline, helping to improve the lives of both seafarers and their loved ones. This declaration was also built upon the foundations of previous codes and procedures, such as the International Safety Management Code (1993) and the Maritime Labour Convention (2006).
Seafarers are the industry’s most valuable asset
The pandemic has exposed many shortfalls within the industry, especially in the management of seafarers and their welfare. To add oil to fire, the crisis in Ukraine has also left the maritime industry shaking from the realization that the pool of seafarers available for service are not limitless, and there would be dire consequences that could break the supply chain and by association, global economies.
Vikand Solutions CEO Peter Hult shared the declaration’s goal, posturing to ensure that seafarers get priority consideration in the organisations’ overall scheme of things, “Our goal is to develop a global platform for sustainable seafarer to ensure the future commercial viability of the maritime industry. We need to develop a sustainable seafaring community to future proof the maritime sector.”
Sustainability, in the eyes of insurance company Aon’s Chief Commercial Officer Chris Bhatt, does not only help in the form of ‘curing’ through seafarer welfare and looking after their wellbeing. It also comes with added side effects, resulting in ‘prevention’, “Aside from the obvious benefits to seafarer and their families, there has long been a link between human behaviour and incident occurrence so if we can collectively work to improve seafarer health and wellbeing, this should have a really positive impact on risk.”
Crewing Online Media Team
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